Why it’s Hard to Respect the GOP These Days

“WASHINGTON — Republicans railed against the Democrats’ massive economic-stimulus and spending bills as fiscally irresponsible, but some GOP lawmakers are taking credit for projects in their own districts funded by the measures.
‘Washington needs to stop spending money that it doesn’t have,’ Michigan Republican Rep. Pete Hoekstra said in attacking the $410 billion omnibus-spending bill, which funds the government through September. But once it passed, he touted its benefits for his district, which stretches along Lake Michigan.
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In an interview, Mr. Diaz-Balart said, ‘The omnibus was too much money, too much spending, too much borrowing, too much debt, and no accountability. Now, I have stuff in that bill, but I still voted against it. But what I have in there, I am very proud of.[emphasis mine]’
Rep. Howard Coble (R., N.C.) issued a news release on March 11 boasting that ‘six Coble earmarks’ were in the omnibus bill, including $855,000 to extend an airport runway.”